Knowing Students By Name

I have been asked several times by parents over the years, how I know all of the kids names.  I have a confession to make, I don't know them all - yet.  This year I probably know 85 to 90% of our students by name and I am working on the rest.

Knowing students by name is an important part of my work in the school - maybe the most important.  When I'm able to say "hi" or call a student by their name it helps to create a connection between me and them.  This connection helps me to check in on what's going on or help to resolve problems that might be occurring.  I really believe that it helps in creating a positive learning community as well.  Students feel welcomed and included at our school and knowing their name contributes to this.  Besides, calling to a student in the hall and saying "hey you" doesn't quite have the same affect.

There are some pieces of educational research that suggest a positive relationship with a caring adult at school helps students to feel accepted and competent in their academic work. In our school plan we refer to this as "belonging" and it is essential to a person's learning success.  "Belonging encompasses a person's own sense that they are genuinely and caringly included among all others in their place of learning, and that they can feel personally secure in this" (Chris Kelly, 2010).   Calling a student by name is one way that I can show I care.  This is a small contribution to the much larger connection that our classroom teachers and support staff make in getting to know our students on a much deeper level.  No where is this more evident than in our class placement process at the end and beginning of each school year.  When we discuss possible class lists our staff know, in detail, what works for kids, who they connect with, and what supports they need in order to be successful.  The depth with which our staff know your children never ceases to amaze me.

How fortunate we all are to have a place where our students are connected in such a meaningful way to adults that care and in turn, this breeds confidence in learning.

Keeping our Kids Active

In my family, this past week has signaled the start of another busy year with sports and other activities beginning.  This means that the taxi service is also in full swing as we juggle between soccer, volleyball, cross country, basketball, and piano lessons.  This same act is done by many of our David Cameron families as well.  I think it's great that there are so many opportunities in greater Victoria to lead an active lifestyle.   There are many sports organizations dedicated to kids, as well as sport facilities, and community trails for jogging or biking.  Victoria even offers support for families with financial difficulties through the KidSport organization.

At David Cameron we continue to promote daily physical activity for our students.  As a school, we do our regular Monday School-Wide Run (and Marathon recognition), and many classes go for hikes along the galloping goose trail on days that they are not scheduled into the gym.  We also have lots of play equipment for students to use at recess and lunch.  We know that kids need to move and be active and yet, in Canada, obesity has become the second leading, preventable, cause of death, only outdone by smoking.  A few years ago there was a statistic released by General Motors that they were spending more on health care costs than they were on raw materials to build cars.  These facts seem to add a little more importance to the need for daily activity.

So, let's do our part to keep getting the kids where they need to be and supporting them in whatever activities they choose.  Let's also commit to being good role models for them in our own lifestyles.  We will do our best to encourage, support, and offer activities at school as well.

Here we are again.

This is such an exciting time for everyone; students, parents, and teachers.  As much as we love the carefree and relaxed atmosphere that summer brings, there is a certain serenity in routines and regularity.  This year at David Cameron is no exception, we are all looking forward to another great year.
This past week, our staff worked hard behind the scenes to re-organize student placements due to the addition of a new division.  In June we tentatively place students into their classes based on our projected enrollment and then often need to make adjustments due to new arrivals.  This year our numbers are close to the 350 student mark.
During the first week of school, students returned to their previous year's class and re-connected with friends, while teachers made those class adjustments.  It was also a great opportunity to refresh our school expectations in the minds of the students.  In order for us to all "be together", we must "work together" to create the kind of school we want.  We also introduced our first virtue of the year - Idealism.  This sets the tone for our year in encouraging students to dream big and to pursue those dreams.  It also focuses us on setting high standards and expectations within our school community.
So, with all of that in mind, here we go again with the 2010/2011 school year.